Catharanthus plant named ‘Suncatfe 185’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Catharanthus  plant named ‘Suncatfe 185’, characterized by its compact, upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; relatively small star-shaped pink-colored flowers with a distinct red purple-colored eye zone; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Catharanthus roseus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNCATFE 185’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Catharanthus plant,botanically known as Catharanthus roseus and hereinafter referred to bythe cultivar name ‘Suncatfe 185’.

The new Catharanthus plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective ofthe breeding program is to develop new compact and freely branchingCatharanthus plants with numerous small flowers.

The new Catharanthus plant originated from a cross-pollination conductedby the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in September, 2011 of aproprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified as codedesignation FS22-3, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with aproprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified as codedesignation CL, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The newCatharanthus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as asingle flowering plant from within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi,Shiga, Japan in September, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Catharanthus plant by vegetative tipcuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga,Japan since December, 2013, has shown that the unique features of thisnew Catharanthus plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Catharanthus have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Suncatfe 185’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Suncatfe 185’ as a new and distinctCatharanthus plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly        mounding plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely basal branching habit.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Long flowering period.    -   6. Relatively small star-shaped pink-colored flowers with a        distinct red purple-colored eye zone.    -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the femaleparent selection. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ primarily fromplants of the female parent selection in flower color as plants of thefemale parent selection have darker pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the maleparent selection. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ primarily fromplants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Catharanthus have smaller flowers than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Catharanthus and the male parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection        have lavender-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of theCatharanthus roseus ‘Suncatha 2460’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant Pat. No.27,455. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Catharanthusdiffer from plants of ‘Suncatha 2460’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Catharanthus are taller than and not as        broad as plants of ‘Suncatha 2460’.    -   2. Plants of the new Catharanthus have larger leaves than plants        of ‘Suncatha 2460’.    -   3. Plants of the new Catharanthus have broader flower petals        than plants of ‘Suncatha 2460’.    -   4. Plants of the new Catharanthus and ‘Suncatha 2460’ differ in        flower color as plants of ‘Suncatha 2460’ have flowers that are        light red purple in color with a distinct yellow- colored eye        zone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Catharanthus plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Catharanthus plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Suncatfe 185’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Suncatfe 185’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the late summer/early autumn in15-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan andunder cultural practices typical of commercial production. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25° C. and nighttemperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were six months old when thephotographs were taken and seven months old when the description wastaken. In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Catharanthus roseus ‘Suncatfe 185’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation FS22-3,            not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation CL, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative tip cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two weeks at            temperatures about 30° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks at            temperatures about 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About five            weeks at temperatures about 30° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six            weeks at temperatures about 25° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual            color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,            water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate            temperature and physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright to outwardly            spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; freely basal            branching habit, about seven basal branches each with about            five secondary branches developing per plant; vigorous            growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 55 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 27 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 1.1 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Aspect.—Upright to outwardly.        -   Texture.—Pubescent; rough.        -   Color.—Close to 145B.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 3.2 cm.        -   Width.—About 1.4 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Apex.—Broadly acute to mucronate.        -   Base.—Attenuate to rounded.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143B.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143C. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to between 143A to            137A; venation, close to 145C. Fully expanded leaves, lower            surface: Close to 143B; venation, close to 145D.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 3.3 mm. Diameter: About 1.7 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 145B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single star-shaped salverform            flowers arising from upper leaf axils; freely flowering            habit with numerous small flowers developing per plant;            flowers face mostly upright.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flowering habit.—Plants begin flowering about two to three            weeks after planting; long flowering period, in the garden,            plants flower continuously from the early summer to late            autumn in Japan.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about two to three            days on the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 3.7 mm.            Shape: Ovoid to cylindrical. Color: Close to 36D.        -   Flower diameter.—About 2.5 cm.        -   Flower length (depth).—About 2.4 cm.        -   Tube length.—About 2.3 cm.        -   Tube diameter, proximally.—About 1.8 mm.        -   Tube diameter, distally.—About 2.3 mm.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals in a single whorl fused at            the base into a tube. Petal length from throat: About            1.1 cm. Petal width: About 5.6 mm. Petal shape:            Oblanceolate. Petal apex: Cuspidate. Petal margin: Entire.            Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface: Close            to 55B. Petal, when opening, lower surface: Close to 155B.            Petal, fully opened, upper surface: Close to 63C; color            becoming closer to 62C with development. Petal, fully            opened, lower surface: Close to 65D. Eye zone: Close to 60A.            Throat: Proximally, close to 145D; distally, close to 145B.            Tube: Proximally, close to 145C faintly tinged with close to            170C; distally, close to 145B.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped tubular calyx with five            sepals fused towards the base. Sepal length: About 1.6 mm.            Sepal width: About 0.7 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate. Sepal            apex: Acuminate. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 143B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 0.8 mm. Diameter: About 1.2 mm.            Angle: Upright to outwardly. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: Close to 145A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.            Anther size: About 1.1 mm by 0.6 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly            elliptic. Anther color: Close to 145D. Pollen amount:            Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 155B. Pistils: Quantity per            flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.5 cm. Style color: Close            to 145D. Stigma shape: Globose. Stigma color: Close to 145A.            Ovary color: Close to 144B. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit            development have not been observed on plants of the new            Catharanthus.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Catharanthus have been    observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain    and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C. to 40° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Catharanthus have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Catharanthus plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Catharanthus plant named ‘Suncatfe185’ as illustrated and described.